Grade 5 Unit 2 Exploring Expository Text - PSD 401

Name _________________________________________ Date _______

Making Meaning Grade 5

Unit 2

Exploring Expository Text

¡°Hippos Rule¡±

Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.

Hippos Rule!

1

What a face, huh? With a

squared-off snout, weird teeth, and

bristly whiskers, a hippo won¡¯t win any

beauty contests. But, so what? In the

water, hippos can¡¯t be beat!

Living Large

2

A big hippo weighs more than

two cars. That makes it one of the

largest mammals on land¡ªonly

elephants and some rhinos can top it.

No wonder few animals will hassle a

full-grown hippo.

3

Hippos hang out in the water

and on land. They spend most of their

days in African rivers, lakes, and water

holes. There they mate, play, and even

give birth. They come out of the water only

to sunbathe or to look for some dinner.

(More on that later.)

Hippos spend most of their days

in the water.

Location of Africa on a World Map

4

Hippos even ¡°talk¡± to each other

underwater. They whine, click, and

croak. One of a hippo¡¯s underwater calls, the

earsplitting wheeze-honk, is as loud as a

heavy-metal band. Wouldn¡¯t it be fun to

know what hippos are saying?

Time for a Nap

5

6

At dawn these hippos parade back to their river.

They¡¯ve spent the night stuffing themselves full

of grass in a nearby field. Now they¡¯re ready to

relax in the water. Later, at dusk, the herd of

hungry, hungry hippos will head back up the

trail to the field again.

What¡¯s Up, Mom?

This little hippo knows who to

turn to. Mama Hippo keeps her calf

in front of her for safety. If a

crocodile gets too close to her baby,

it had better watch out. Mom can

chomp a crocodile in half! She and

other grown hippos make their

calves behave with shoves or

sometimes even little bites.

Ready, Set, Go!

7

A hippo charges through the

water at lightning speed. In deep

water, hippos often sink down and

race along the river bottom.

A mama hippo protects her calf by keeping

the little hippo in front of her.

Who Goes There?

See how a hippo¡¯s eyes and nose are on

top of its head? This helps it breathe and

check out what¡¯s happening while staying

mostly underwater.

Smash Mouth

Two male hippos bellow and thrash their

big-toothed mouths around. Lookout! Their

pushing and shoving may lead to slashing at

each other with their long teeth. The winner

gets control over this part of the river.

Male hippos fight for control

over this part of the river.

8

9

Name _________________________________________ Date _______

Making Meaning Grade 5

Unit 2

Exploring Expository Text

¡°Hippos Rule¡±

1. Which idea is included in the section under the heading Living Large?

o A. Hippos spend the night eating grass.

o B. Hippos live on land and in the water.

o C. Hippos protect their calves.

2. Which idea does the author of the selection discuss first?

o A. Hippos talk to each other underwater.

o B. Hippos come out of the water to sunbathe.

o C. Hippos shove their calves to make them behave.

3. Any of these titles could be another title for the selection. Choose the

title you think best fits the selection.

The Strength of Hippos

The Water-Loving Hippo

A Unique Animal

Use two details from the selection to support your choice.

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4. What is

Mouth?

o

o

o

5.

the meaning of the word thrash under the heading Smash

A. whip

B. squat

C. bellow

Under which heading, would the author have included this sentence?

¡°The mother hippo teaches her calf to walk level with her neck,

so she can keep an eye on it, and it must stop when she stops.¡±

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6. Within this selection, what is one question you can ask about hippos¡¯

survival in the wild that was not answered?

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7.

Where would you go to find information to answer your question

above?

o A. Dictionary

o B. Encyclopedia

o C. Thesaurus

o D. Newspaper

8. What is the purpose of captions?

o A. Give important information about the photos or

illustrations.

o B. Identify the topic of the main sections of the text.

o C. Identify the location.

9. According to the selection what makes a male hippo get control over

the river?

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10. Use information from the selection to fill in differences between

the hippos¡¯ activities during the day and night.

Activities During the Day

Activities During the Night

11. After reading this selection, what do you feel is the author¡¯s purpose?

o A. To persuade the reader to protect hippos.

o B. To entertain the reader with a story of fighting of

hippos.

o C. To inform the reader about hippos.

12. Which sentence best summarizes paragraph 6?

o A. Mother hippos protect their calves.

o B. Mother hippos are strict.

o C. Young hippos can be eaten by crocodiles.

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